Tips On Working From Home

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Since a lot of you will be forced to work from home for at least the next few weeks, and I have been REALLY productive working from home over the last 10 years (writing 16 poker books, making PokerCoaching.com, recording podcasts, etc.), here are some tips!

1. Dedicate a space in your home to be your “work” space. Many people view their entire home as their “relaxation” space. Your work space does not have to be huge. Ideally it can be closed off and without too many people constantly walking through it. A corner in your bedroom will work great. I use a large closet. It isn’t fancy, but it gets the job done.

2. Set work hours. Realize and accept that some of your time at home must be designated to work. If you do not designate it, you may find that you goof off throughout the day, or even worse, never even get started working. I personally work from 9 am – 6 pm Monday through Friday. My work time is my work time, and my play time is my play time.

3. Start the morning off right. I do not suggest you roll out of bed and immediately start checking emails and social media. Enjoy your mornings! Wake up, take care of routine family issues, have breakfast, get dressed, go to the gym, meditate, then get to work. Treating your work from home mornings like your normal workday mornings will help get you in the working mood.

4. Take breaks. Very few people can grind hard for eight hours with no breaks. I divide my day into two-hour blocks. After each block, for about five minutes, I make a point to get up, drink some water, get away from the computer, etc. Even with the virus going around, step outside for a few moments to get a breath of fresh air.

5. Stay connected with people. Just because you are stuck at home does not mean you have to cease communications with all other humans. Use programs like WhatsApp, Slack, Skype, etc. to stay connected. Just don’t let this become a distraction!

6. Speaking of distractions, get rid of them. If you have a “time suck” that you indulge in on weekends (or even when you are normally at work), resolve to not use them. TV, video games, social media, and email are especially time consuming. I personally used to play a five-minute game of Hearthstone in my breaks. Sometimes it would turn into two games, then three…Now I don’t play Hearthstone during work hours. You may have less fun, but you will be much more productive.

7. Request the proper equipment. If you are going to spend substantial time working from home, you need adequate equipment. Most employers want you to be productive and will be happy to provide you whatever you need, within reason. It doesn’t hurt to ask. If you are self-employed, spend some money to make yourself more productive.

8. Embrace food delivery. An easy way to save an hour each day (which you can then use to be more productive) is to never spend time shopping for food or cooking. It will cost a bit more money, but what is an extra hour of your time worth?

9. If two or more people will be working from the same space, make sure you understand each other’s needs. If one of you needs silence for a work call (or for recording a poker training video), let the other know. Realize that you are in this together. You will have to communicate and cooperate in order to have a happy, productive relationship.

10. Have discipline! Especially if you have never worked from home before, it will be a change that demands you embrace delayed gratification. If you can stay on task and get your work done, you may find that working from home makes you significantly more productive than working from work.

Be smart, stay safe, and wash your hands! We will make it through this. ♠

Jonathan Little is a professional poker player and best-selling poker author with over $7,000,000 in live tournament earnings. If you want to learn how to play fundamentally sound poker and increase your win rate, check out PokerCoaching.com. Click here to try PokerCoaching.com for free.